Global Summary Information - November 2015

Note: With this report and data release, the National Centers for Environmental Information is transitioning to improved versions of its global land (GHCN-M version 3.3.0) and ocean (ERSST version 4.0.0) datasets. Please note that anomalies and ranks reflect the historical record according to these updated versions. Historical months and years may differ from what was reported in previous reports. For more, please visit the associated FAQ and supplemental information.

November 2015 was warmest November on record for the globe

September–November and year-to-date also record warm

Global highlights: November 2015

The November average temperature across global land and ocean surfaces was 1.75°F (0.97°C) above the 20th century average. This was the highest for November in the 1880–2015 record, surpassing the previous record set in 2013 by 0.27°F (0.15°C), and marking the seventh consecutive month a monthly global temperature record has been broken.

The November globally-averaged land surface temperature was 2.36°F (1.31°C) above the 20th century average. This was the fifth highest for November in the 1880–2015 record.

The November globally-averaged sea surface temperature was 1.51°F (0.84°C) above the 20th century average. This was the highest for November in the 1880–2015 record, surpassing the previous record set last year by 0.36°F (0.20°C).

The average Arctic sea ice extent for November 2015 was 360,000 square miles (8.3 percent) below the 1981–2010 average. This was the sixth smallest November extent since records began in 1979, according to analysis by the National Snow and Ice Data Center using data from NOAA and NASA.

Antarctic sea ice extent during November 2015 was 80,000 square miles (1.2 percent) above the 1981–2010 average, the 14th largest for November in the 37-year period of record.

According to data from NOAA analyzed by the Rutgers Global Snow Lab, the Northern Hemisphere snow cover extent during November was 880,000 square miles above the 1981–2010 average and the seventh largest in the 50-year period of record. Eurasia had its seventh largest November snow cover extent, while North America had its 19th largest.

Global highlights: Seasonal (September–November 2015)

The September–November average temperature across global land and ocean surfaces was 1.73°F (0.96°C) above the 20th century average. This was the highest for September–November in the 1880–2015 record, surpassing the previous record set last year by 0.38°F (0.21°C).

The globally-averaged land surface temperature for September–November 2015 was 2.29°F (1.27°C) above the 20th century average. This was the highest for September-November in the 1880–2015 record, surpassing the previous record of 2005 by 0.15°F (0.08°C).

The September–November globally-averaged sea surface temperature was 1.51°F (0.84°C) above the 20th century average. This was the highest for September-November in the 1880–2015 record, surpassing the previous record set last year by 0.27°F (0.15°C).

Global highlights: Year-to-date (January–November 2015)

The year-to-date temperature across global land and ocean surfaces was 1.57°F (0.87°C) above the 20th century average. This was the highest for January–November in the 1880–2015 record, surpassing the previous record set in 2014 by 0.25°F (0.14°C). Nine of the first eleven months in 2015 have been record warm for their respective months. The December global temperature would have to be at least 1.46°F (0.81°C) below average—or 0.43°F (0.24°C) colder than the current record low December temperature of 1916—for 2015 to not become the warmest year in the 136-year period of record.

The year-to-date globally-averaged land surface temperature was the highest for January–November in the 1880–2015 record at 2.29°F (1.27°C) above the 20th century average. This was the highest for January–November in the 1880–2015 record, surpassing the previous record of 2010 by 0.27°F (0.15°C).

The year-to-date globally-averaged sea surface temperature was 1.30°F (0.72°C) above the 20th century average and the highest for January–November in the 1880–2015 record. This was the highest for January–November in the 1880–2015 record, surpassing the previous record of 2014 by 0.16°F (0.09°C).

For extended analysis of global temperature and precipitation patterns, please see our full November report